Hurt
by JCxX
Summary: Mario and Peach finally are getting married...But Mario's gut tells him that something will happen. But, his gut is never wrong. -Bleh title. Help by reviewing? P.S: my second M x P fanfic, so, try to be nice. Constructive Criticism welcome. Rated T for language and suggestive themes.


**Mario and Peach's wedding! :)  
**

**I listened to many songs that gave me motivation to write this. Such as: the instrumental version of "Last To Know" by Three Days Grace, and the Unofficial Score- Catching Fire also, "Rue's Farewell"- Hunger Games Score and "Hurt"- Christina Aguilera (I listened to that well over six times.) . Just to name a few... **

**Btw, sorry that the beginning is pretty much the same as the intro to "A Thousand Years"- Luigi and Daisy's wedding. :/**

* * *

_Mario: _

For me, getting married is somewhat a scary and a joyful thing. I was confused about which emotion to feel, I fumbled with my tie as I looked in the mirror one last time. Luigi sat in the chair beside me and for whatever reason, he looked just as nervous I was. My tux was a traditional one but, the vest was a scarlet color. My hair was trimmed as well as my mustache. Just a little fact for you; when Luigi and I were growing up, I got the girls because of my courage and fearlessness. Luigi? His hair. Yes. His hair. Geez, that guy got a lot of dates when he was about 18. I mean, I was jealous of his hair and I'm not the jealous type. It was fluffy and was always styled perfectly. My hair was the typical brown and wavy, off-to-the-side type of thing. Luigi's was too except, his fell over his eyes a lot. The best way to describe our hair (mainly Luigi's) is like Darry's from the _Outsiders_ movie. It didn't look like a greasers hair but, his hair was always clean and cut. It was perfect. Like Luigi's, I had no idea how he effortlessly did his hair everyday. When we were growing up, many of my friends that were girls had stated that we were "terribly good-looking". Even with the mustache. Anyways, I tapped my foot on the ground as I checked myself for a good second. I don't know why I am shaking so much, maybe it's because I'm marrying a princess. This time, it was my turn to have the great hair. Sorry, Luigi. I also had my worries about the wedding too, Peach's father had died about a month ago and she still hasn't gotten over it. That's something that takes a _long _time to get over; her mom died when she was five. I was consistently worried if she would regret the wedding, she told me this is the best thing that's happened to her all year. She was overjoyed when I asked her to marry me. Yes, she cried. But that sudden worry never left me the whole entire day. Everyone told me not to worry so much, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad etc., they told me today was about Peach and I and not to ruin it. Not to forget to mention that Peach has no longer any blood-related family. I reminded her that I'd never leave her, and that made her happier. I vowed it. And I mean it with all my heart, I know what it's like to lose someone early on. She had told me years ago that one of her dreams was the father-daughter dance at the reception. That really makes me sad. She won't have her father to walk her down the aisle. To dance with. Nothing. I've never felt so sad in my life. She looked forward to her mother giving her the necklace she now always wears. She never takes it off, she told me that's all she has left of her. Her father left her his favorite baseball cap. That was a heartbreaking thing to witness. She now looks more haggard than jaunty. Luigi broke me out of my train of thoughts,

"Mario?" I jumped a little, I turned to him, I shuddered a little and crossed my arms.

"What?" I said, a little annoyed, I was in the middle of deep thoughts. Don't you hate that? When you're really thinking and someone breaks you out of it? I can't stand it.

"You ready?" I breathed in deep and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess life starts now." He didn't budge from his seat though, I had a gut feeling something awful was going to happen some time this week. Only problem was, my gut never lies to me. I turned back to see the door slightly open, I wanted to see Peach before we went to the alter. I seriously don't care whether or not that I see her in her dress before the wedding. No one does. It's ridiculous when people say it's "bad luck". I wanted to ask her if she was okay, it's a force of habit I have. To always make sure the people I care about are okay. Screw it. I told Luigi I'd be back in a second, I really just needed to talk to her. Even if she was wearing her dress or not. I'm sure if I see her in it before the wedding, I'll be just as paralyzed by her beauty anyways when she walks down that aisle.

_Peach: _

One tear streamed down my face slowly. I sat in my vanity chair and looked at myself. I got my hair cut and it was now short. It was curled and a lot of bobby pins were in it, if you can picture Taylor Swift's hair in the "Mean" music video; then there's my hair. That vintage, 50's look. I loved it, so did Mario. The thought of him made me smile a little. I was the only one in my dressing room, and these past few days I felt like I needed to be alone. I visit my parents' grave every day, I knew how proud they'd be of me if they were still here. It still is hard to picture that in a few minutes or whenever, that I'll be walking down the aisle. As of when I got engaged, getting married made me feel so happy and then it terrified me. Toadsworth had offered to take me down the aisle, but, I said no. Only because I'd start crying. I knew I was going to anyways. I tried to feel happy, today I was supposed to be happy. Why can't I be happy? Mom and Daddy (yes, I called him that.), would want me to. Everyone would want me to. Toadsworth tried everything to make me feel better after my father's death; every single person did. They tried to make me laugh, comfort me, bring me flowers etc., nothing made me feel better unless I was in Mario's arms. I asked him to stay with me for a night or two after that, I just wanted some company that wasn't Toadsworth. I wasn't in my dress yet and it was in a zipped up dress bag. I had a satin robe on and shorts and a tank top underneath it. I haven't changed out of my pajamas yet. Everything else was done except the fact I wasn't in my dress yet. My hair was done, so was my makeup, my nails, everything. It was times like these I was wearing waterproof eyeliner and mascara...Another lonesome tear escaped my eyes and it only dropped down on the vanity. I heard a slight tap on the door, I assumed it was Daisy or Mario's mother. Mario's mother, Anna, is the second closest person I ever had to a guardian or parent. She was strict on Mario and Luigi was soft and sweet and gentle. From what Mario told me, Anna is German and his father was Italian. He never told me otherwise. I jumped a little when I saw Mario pop his head in, I wiped away a stray tear and gestured him to come in. He waltzed in, trying to make me smile or laugh. It worked. I cracked a slight smile. I got up and went over to him and smiled bigger. He took my hands into his and said,

"I just wanted to check on you. Are you okay?" I felt my throat tighten and it became hard to swallow. I felt tears build in my eyes, I knew he could see them too. I looked the other way and nodded. I tried to hold the tears back, I didn't need him to worry. I saw a flash of concern in his own blue eyes. That's the last thing I need; for him to worry. I didn't want him to think I was regretting this decision. In fact, I was thrilled and that's not a lie. He wrapped his hands around my waist and brought me closer to him, "That's good...Please, don't cry." He says quietly, looking at me. He turned my face towards him and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb. His hands held my face and he whispered comforting things to me. To end it off he said something to make me laugh and then kissed me and left the room. I felt a lot better after that, why is it that only Mario could do that? I have no clue.

_Mario: _

After I left the room, I entered my own again but to find that I was alone. Luigi had left. How long was I in there? Three? Four minutes, not even.

"Luigi?" I searched the room a little, looking this way and that. He couldn't have been gone too long, I knew he didn't go home either. Maybe he went back to the Grand Room? Which is where the wedding was being held, just in case you were wondering. I wasn't allowed to go back there but I did anyways. I needed to speak with someone else. When I get nervous, I tend to talk a lot, or have sudden urge to talk consistently. I found him in a room past the Grand Room. He seemed to be looking at the grand piano before him. I walked in silently, I watched him sit down and start playing a little melody. It sounded sort of sad but, gentle. Almost as calming as Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". He must've heard me breathing or something because he stopped suddenly and looked at me. He blinked, I encouraged him to keep going, I could use the calming sound of the piano. He sighed and went back to playing. I noticed that he played the same notes over and over again. He must be trying to write a song or something. I was lucky enough to know what chords he kept playing: EM (E Minor), BM (B Minor), C, EM, BM, C, D, EM, C, D. He played these continuously, I finally asked him,

"What are you doing, Bro?" He jumped a little, Luigi's one of those people who gets lost in music very quickly. I just happen to know that music means everything to him.

"When did you get here?" Make that _really _quick.

"Uh, you didn't see me? You just looked at me not even a minute ago." He shook his head and went back to playing. I walked closer to him, he was trying to release some type of emotion, I couldn't figure it out though. He kept playing those chords repetitively until one of my best men came in to warn us that the wedding was going to start in a little while. I sighed and Luigi followed me out . We saw numerous people standing around and hustling to make last preparations. I shook my hands a little and took a good look in the mirror to my right. I still looked 26, good enough for me. I soon was told to be ready, I watched Luigi and Daisy take each others arm and walk out into the aisle. The guests were silent as the two walked gracefully, Luigi had told me that he thought about proposing to Daisy a while ago. But a lot could happen in just a short while. Soon, it was my turn to walk out and as I walked down the aisle, I caught sight of my mother. She looked so full of emotion and happiness. I saw a few of my friends, including Socko; Luigi's best friend. I walked to the right of the alter and made a space for Peach. Soon the time came when the music started playing and the doors opened. I nearly lost my breath to how beautiful she looked. She glowed in the early afternoon sun, her skin was radiant and her hair took the sun's rays. Her dress was perfect on her, just like she was. I smiled big, I saw Toadsworth sit down in the front row, he must've not walked her down the aisle. I was too transfixed by Peach to notice anyone else but her. I saw tears forming in her eyes, I knew that this was such a happy time and a pain filled one. She was holding in the tears that longed to be free, I took her hands and I noticed her calm down a bit. I caught a glimpse of Luigi off to the side of me, he gave me a small smile. He looked back into the distance and then tried not to stare at Daisy. I will comment that she rocked the dress she was wearing, and I'm not saying that in anyway but as a complement. Before I knew it, we had to say our vows and I poured any honesty and promising I had scribbled on a wrinkled piece of paper. they were short and sweet, yet, heart warming. To sum it up, we both promised to never leave one another (to get divorced), or disown or mistreat one another etc. What felt like hours later, the pasture finally finished the never ending marriage speech from the Bible. He finally said "Speak now or forever hold your peace." The guests held their breath as the room went silent. They anxiously awaited that kiss. I knew it. Don't they know the anxiety was eating at me too? I heard myself say,

"I do." I smiled as Peach said,

"I do." The pasture wrapped the whole ceremony up with the traditional,

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss your bride." The guests were cheering and clapping as we kissed sweetly. We walked down the aisle as I looked back to see Luigi clapping and smiling, just about what everyone else was doing. I saw Peach's face light up as we made it into the reception area. We got a few minutes to be alone before anyone came in. I took her onto the dance floor, the lights were going but it was silent and we were the only ones there. Her hair was still perfectly curled, I wrapped one of the curls around my finger,

"How do you keep it so curly?" I smirked, she smiled and tried to hide a giggle. I dipped her and brought her back up,

"Lots of hairspray." She jokes, I snorted a little and set my hands around her waist. I tilted her chin a little and looked her in the eyes, just when we were about to kiss, the guy from the reception management came over to us and ushered us to stand in the hall until everyone piled in. I saw Luigi taking his good old time, him and Socko were joking about something. If I wasn't Luigi's brother, Socko could easily replace me. They were pretty much brothers. I was glad for him though, that he had found a friend that hasn't left him discouraged. Or left him at all... He didn't have many friends growing up, so, it was hard not to smile at the sight of the two laughing their asses off at something stupid. I rolled my eyes and shook Socko's hand and gave him one of those 'bro hugs'. I didn't do that to Luigi, I actually pulled him into an actual hug, it was hard to picture that it seemed like yesterday that I was nine and he was seven. I remembered the time I put sand down his pants and the time he woke me up with ice water. It was hard to imagine that we're all grown up now. I was still digesting the fact that I'm married now. Lord, time flies. I think the one that really couldn't picture it was mom. She wrapped me in a long, meaningful hug and said how proud she was of me. That she loves me, that Peach is such a beautiful and sweet girl, etc. I knew all of those things before hand though. I saw Peach next to me, smiling and hugging and shaking everyone's hand. Then the time came that we were having our first dance together. It was a beautiful ballad sung by some Italian singer, I had forgotten his name though. Peach's chin rested on my shoulder, it was silent, but there were people in the room. They were stunned by how breathtaking the scene was. I quietly said to Peach,

"Peach?" She wrapped her arms tighter around me and and whispered,

"Hm?"

"Be honest with me, are you having a good time?" She pulled her chin away from my shoulder and looked me in the eye. She gave me a very meaningful and serious look,

"Yes. Now, quit being a worried. Trust me, this is the most fun I've had in...Years." It was easy to forget that she was a princess ruling a kingdom. That realization hit me and harder than it should've. If you do think about it, Peach ruled the Mushroom Kingdom for years and years. I never actually came to a hypothesis about how many regulations she'd have until now. Then, I was too young to even remember my last name, I guess it just comes with age. She placed her chin back on my shoulder and I felt her shake a little. I held her tighter, I was starting to figure out just hard it must be to not have that dance with her father. It made me remember how close I was with my own father, Marco. He wouldn't be here to congratulate me or tell me that he's proud. For years, I looked up to my dad as a role model. He was a sarcastic, funny man, a bit on the chubby side and damn lazy if you ask mom. But out of all of the qualities he had a big heart; probably where Luigi got it from. All of these qualities made him a good dad, until that is my parents were about to split. They were filling out the forms for divorce, but they never got a chance to actually make it official because about two weeks before that, he had died of a heart attack. This crushed me and Luigi, probably me more than Luigi. He was closer with my mom than dad. They never really saw eye to eye on anything, My dad always had a fault though; he'd pick favorites and you can most likely guess who was his favorite. Yes, me. When my parents fought, it was about money, favoritism, and me and Luigi. I really started to notice it effect Luigi as he got older. There was no strong male presence in the house. Just me, Luigi and mom. It wasn't too long ago when Luigi finally realized just how much it misses him. He said, "Do you think he's looking down on me? Is he proud of who I am?" For some reason that made me feel a bit more sad, I am a person of many jobs (we all know that), only Luigi never had any true job. Only as a plumber, but because my dad forced him to. I may have forgot to mention that he was pretty hard on Luigi, well, because he was the youngest, and had more time to think about his options. My dad tried to make something out of him, Luigi could never impress him. Yet, he didn't have the heart to say that he hated the guy. As we got older, I grew closer with dad than Luigi. When were younger, Luigi and I were just too different. When Luigi was about 15, he just kind of had enough. He just didn't want people telling him what to do, he wanted to come and go as he pleased. He wouldn't come home on time or do his homework when he was supposed to, he just was a little punk. He just became the asshole. It wasn't intentional though, he felt alone and scared. He didn't talk about anything that was going on his life. This made both mine and mom's relationship with him more bitter. It was dad who always yelled at him. Mom just tried to enforce the rules in the house. The one thing about Luigi is that, when I meant an "asshole", I'm not talking about like a stupid person, I'm talking about the, "go-away-I-don't-want-to-see-you-get-out-of-the-freaking-way- little-mister-know-it-all-I'll-do-it-my-way-idiot-say-that-to-my-face-you-little-brat", type of asshole. He figured that was a role he would have to be a lot, and he played it well for a 15 year-old. Luigi is actually quite smart. So, don't take it the wrong way. To sum that up in easier terms, he just had a "kiss-my-ass" attitude. All day, everyday. He always had an attitude, even from when he was little.

But all that arguing and yelling and etc., nearly cost me to lose him. It almost cost his life. It nearly made me lose the one person I care about the most. I've been protective over him ever since. So, I guess that's why he doesn't think dad's proud of him, also, probably because no one actually ever said it to his face. That they're proud of him, or to keep going, or that he's doing a great job. Never told him that. If someone did tell him that, he probably not believe them.

Anyways, after the dance was finished we went back to our table where Daisy, Luigi, and Socko, and a few of my friends were sitting. Daisy and Peach started chatting right away, and I started to talk with my friends. Luigi was only talking to Socko, I heard a noise and I saw Socko pulled out his phone. He held up a finger and said loudly over the music,

"It's my mom, I'll be right back!" Luigi and I nodded as he walked out of the room, and Luigi stayed silent, and under the table he'd play with his phone. I kicked his knee, he winced, he gave me a look that had "what?" written all over it, and I shook my head slightly, it was my way of silently saying, "Put the phone away, it's rude." He scoffed a little and shoved in his pocket. After a few hours, I started to realize that Socko hadn't returned yet. I think Luigi noticed that before me though because he said,

"I just got a text from Socko, he said he had to leave early, there was an emergency at his place." I guess that meant Socko wasn't returning then, and frankly it didn't matter to me because before I knew it, Peach and I made our way outside to get pictures taken and make our way to our honeymoon. People crowded us as they tried to get a better photo and I didn't spot mom or Luigi anywhere. I figured that they were lost in the sea of people. Once the crowd finally let up, the limo driver escorted us to the limo, I had said "bye" at least a dozen times by then. I quickly gave my mom a kiss on the cheek and and said "bye" to Luigi. I was exhausted already. Weddings really tire you out. Especially if you're the one getting married. I will say this was one the greatest days in my lifetime. With that the car drove off as we waved back to all of the guests. We'd see them again in two weeks from now.

...

_Luigi: _

I had wondered where Socko had went and I was ushered out into the front of the church to get pictures. That was never really my favorite part of weddings, I don't mind a few but, after at least three I'm like, "Okay, seriously, stop." The swarm of people trampled my mom and I. I asked her if she was alright, and Daisy was behind us the whole time. She'd punch anyone out if she had to. When I said bye to Mario and Peach, I turned to Daisy and said,

"I'm going to go find Socko." She nodded and I made my way past people and luckily Mario and Peach got married at the local church, otherwise, I'd have to drive. I wasn't allowed to take mom's or Mario's car unless I was going home. It's just a 'family rule' if I may say. I walked down the streets in my tux, trying not to get my pant legs wet from the early shower we had this morning. As I drew closer to our street, I smelt smoke, lots of it. I walked a little quicker and finally made it to the beginning of the street known as "Clemets". I followed the smell of the smoke and noticed a commotion going on near the end of the street. I walked even faster and eventually started running, now, not caring about my suit. As I ran, I noticed several police and firetrucks pass me up. This couldn't be good. Once I got to the sight of the smoke, I made my way past a bunch of people in my way. I automatically stopped to see standing before me Socko's parents crying their eyes out. I looked to my left to see their house completely ravaged and still had some flames here and there. I was right. This _wasn't_ good. I went up to Mr and Mrs. Martinez and asked them,

"What's up?" I said it with so much worry, my eyes searched for Socko. I wondered why he wasn't here? Mr. Martinez turned to me with is wife in his shoulder, he set his hand on my shoulder once he saw who I was. My eyes continuously looked for Socko or any sign of that he was here at all.

"Luigi...God. I- His voice broke and quivered, "I can't believe I'm saying this, son, but, Socko's dead." My heart dropped into my stomach. I took a breath in but to only cough it out, I was about to cry,

"How? No. You- you're lying." My own words shook and I started shake myself. Mrs. Martinez looked at me with painful eyes,

"I called him to tell him that someone was in the house. And once he got here, the person shot him. Socko tried to protect us...The person set the house on fire. Socko was taken by an ambulance." She started bawling all over again. I just lost my best friend... I crossed my arms slowly as they brought me into a hug. They smelt of ash and dust, it didn't bother me none. My mind went completely blank, it shut down fully. I stared at the ground behind Mr. Martinez's shoulder. My mouth was slightly ajar and I tried to pretend this wasn't real. It couldn't be... Mr. Martinez pulled back and pulled something out of his pocket. His hand shook and he handed it to me,

"Socko wanted you to have this." I flipped the thing and out swung a blade faster than a blink of an eye. It was Socko's 17 inch, black obsidian handled switch blade. It was his prized possession. He would shatter someone's jaw if someone tried to touch it or even ask him to try using it. It was his baby practically. He gave it...To me? He carried it with him at all times. In his left back pocket, and he would use it too, if he got the chance. He would threaten people and they'd immediately backed off. I mean, it was a freaking monster compared to other blades I'd seen over the years. It made him look like a bad ass. It confused me as to why he chose to give it to me, though? Mr. Martinez spoke again, "He wanted you to have it because you're his best friend. You were the only one he could trust." So, that's why? I felt hot tears build up in my eyes as I stared at it. I knew it was Socko's because his initials were craved into the blade. It still extremely sharp and could easily stab someone with it. Damn, now he gave it me? Mr. Martinez said, "But he said that you have to promise to never let that fall into the wrong hands. Protect it with your life." I looked at Socko's father, his blue-gray eyes were full of agony and sorrow. Socko is a spitting image of his father.

"I will. I promise." I said it with so much determination that I actually meant it. I flipped the blade back and only the handle was now shown. I slid it into my back pocket and made sure it stayed there. Mr and Mrs. Martinez walked away and I was left standing in front of what used to be my best friend's house. The house I'd run to if my parent's were in a heated argument, if I felt like no one cared, or the annual Video Game and Pizza night every Friday after school. The one thing we'd always look forward to. I dropped to my knees and crumpled to the ground. The only thing I heard was the sound of the firetrucks and the water they splashed at the house in front of me. It was now gone. And so was my best -and only- friend. I dropped my head onto the the grass and cried my heart out. My heart was officially shattered into broken glass. I was broke.

What felt like forever, I felt someone peel me from the ground. They made me stand up, it was a cop,

"You alright, son? It's late, do you want me to take you home?" I was too tired and upset to answer, but apparently, that didn't matter too much to him because he guided me to his car and closed the door. He stopped in front of Mario's house and I walked out of the car, my voice was weak and hoarse but, I quietly said,

"Thanks, sir." The cop nodded and drove off. I unlocked the door with the keys Mario had given me and slammed the door behind me. Without even bothering to lock the door again, I fell onto the couch bawling my eyes out the rest of the night. I literally didn't sleep the whole night. I was so mentally dazed that it didn't bother me that I was the only in the empty house. That it hadn't occurred to me that Mario and Peach were on their honeymoon and wouldn't be back in until a few weeks later. I had stopped crying around six in the morning believe me or not. It was _then _I fell into a reckless slumber.

I woke up around three in the afternoon to the unpleasant knock on the door. I picked my head up and dragged myself away from the couch. My head felt light-headed and I felt nauseous. I opened the door to find Daisy. My brain still wasn't processing anything though, so, I looked at her with a blank stare. She must've found out about what happened, or in this case the whole kingdom behind her was moving slow and staring at the ground below them. It was depressing. She let herself in and closed the door behind her. I was too tired to cry again and frankly, I cried too much already in the past 24 hours. My face felt dry and I noticed I wasn't out of my suit yet. She walked over to the couch with me and took my hand and rubbed it gently. She was out of her dress she had worn and had on sweatpants and an orange shirt. Her hair was in a ponytail and she didn't have any makeup on except for mascara. She pulled me into a hug and stayed there for a while. Until she finally said,

"I'm so sorry, Luigi. I'm so sorry." She then explained that it's all over the news and she didn't want to bother Mario and Peach on their honeymoon. She told me that she figured that they had either had no phone service or their phones were off at their island that they were on. She also said that she did try to reach out to Mario but there wasn't a response. My face was completely blank the whole time she had spoke, I lied back against the arm of the couch and Daisy leaned against me. She knew that she'd be playing the Silent Game for a few weeks with me. Daisy sat back up and went into the kitchen. She got a rag from the drawer and wet it under the water. She came back and gently cleaned my face off, I was too dazed to realize of half of things she said to me. The only things I heard were, "Your eyes are red and your face is blotchy. I see you didn't change out of your tux yet, get _any _sleep last night?" The only thing I did was shake my head slightly, "I figured," She went on, then she must've realized something or panicked because her eyes flashed an emotion of worry. She looked at me and said, "I think it's best if you stay with me for a few days. You know, until you at least start sleeping again. I don't like the fact that you're home alone. Especially now." Oh, great, she's probably afraid I'll do something serious again, like in ninth grade. I didn't have any strength to argue with her so, I just went along with everything she said. Daisy made me change into better clothes and take a shower. She led me outside as the brightness of the sun blinded me.

_Mario: _

When we finally got to the resort we were staying at, I thought I was going to fall asleep. I looked over at Peach and saw her gazing out the window. The limo driver opened the door and led out. I felt a cool breeze go through me as the limo driver took our luggage. It was a bit chilly, but it was also late at night. I had no idea which island we were on but, I can very well imagine something awful will happen soon. Bowser always finds ways to make my life more difficult. It's weird though because he hasn't kidnapped Peach in a while, probably because we're married now or something. I think he's starting to catch on though, which is a blessing. Peach tapped my shoulder and told me to look to my right, there I saw the moon over the ocean and it's beam reflected on the water. It was a beautiful scenery. I took Peach's hand as we went inside the condo we were staying at. The limo driver told to us to have fun and be careful then left. Peach plopped herself on the bed and curled up in the covers, not caring that's she's still in her dress. I took my coat off and my tie and joined her. She crawled over to me and placed her head on my chest. I took her hand and wrapped my other arm around her. She then, spoke up,

"Mario? I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed today." She tilted her head up a little to look at me, her hair had started to uncurl and was going back into it's natural state. Her makeup was beginning to look worn out and messy, my muscles ached from dancing and standing so much. Yet, none of that bothered us. I smiled down at her slightly,

"I know, Peach...Your parents would be so proud of you, I hope you know." I didn't want to bring up her folks again but I wanted to tell her that. She seemed to not care very much because she relaxed and fell asleep. A few minutes later, I joined her.

I woke to the sun in my eyes and the ocean splashing against the wave breakers. It was calming to just listen to it. I had a dream sometime in the night that something had happened. I'm talking about the nervous type of dreams. They make you nervous for no reason, that's how I felt right now. I pulled my phone out of my pocket but to only see it dead. Dammit. Peach was on the other side of the bed; she must've moved sometime during the night. Honestly, I didn't care very much because I was too tired to feel anything occur last night. Normally, I'm a light sleeper, this was caused by so many drop-ins by Bowser. I used to be able to sleep but only could be woken up if someone yelled at me. Luigi would wake me up by plugging in his guitar to his amplifier and strumming it loudly. Now, I'm more awake than asleep. I'm very cautious and on cue. I like to be able to know what's happening around me. That deep sleep I had last night felt great though. I sat up and got out of bed. I had fallen asleep in my suit, lovely. I went into the bathroom and took a good look at myself. Nothing had changed since last night but only my hair was a wreck and my suit was wrinkled in some places. I took a towel from the linen closet and fresh clothes from my suitcase and hopped in the shower. A few minutes later, I got back out of the shower and to find Peach awake in bed, running her fingers through her hair. She looked at me,

"Is the shower nice?" She joked a little,

"Yeah, actually it is. The handles are weird though." What kind of shower has handles that you turn the opposite way? I thought the right side was cold and the left was warm? No? Well, apparently foreign ones. For some reason that made me feel a little annoyed, I guess I should've read the instructions after all... She got out of bed and went passed me with her clothes to the shower. I didn't have much else to do other than go on the balcony and stare a the ocean. I felt two arms wrap around me as I turned to find Peach behind me. she rested her forehead on my back and watched the ocean with me. I can honestly say this is one of the most calm moments I've had in years. No chaos, no noise, nothing, just peace. More importantly, no Bowser. It kind of felt like Brooklyn in the Mushroom Kingdom sometimes, the usual noise and hectic times Bowers appears. Almost like Brooklyn's traffic, almost. The never ending car horns, the pedestrians, just one after another, they don't stop. But right now is just peace and quiet, and that feels pretty good. It's too bad it won't last forever. I never felt this peaceful in a long time, considering I'm always working or doing something I rather not be doing. Peach pecked my cheek and turned me so I faced her, she still had her arms around me and was still smiling. I saw a look of happiness fill her eyes, which I haven't seen in months out of her. She finally said,

"You know, I know that my parents are proud of me. I just wish they'd say it to me." She recalls what I said last night. "You can't always get what you desire though, that's the part that I don't like." I could relate. Trust me, Peach. I sighed and said,

"Peach, have you ever looked back on your life and said to yourself, those were the days where things were simple?" I was talking about how time is just too fast sometimes. I came to a realization that I'd now have to do things I really don't want to do. Ahem, bills. I guess that really doesn't count though because I already do those. Sometimes I wish I just wouldn't grow up. You get what I'm saying? I felt her nod against me and she held my face with one hand and kissed me lightly. My hands went around her waist, and she deepened the kiss and her hand moved around my back, I leaned back against the balcony and ran my arms up and down her arms gently. I lost my concentration when she deepened it even more, once we pulled back, I was breathing a bit hard and so was she. We had pulled back to take a breather and we led each other inside and decided to head to the pool. May I just say that this is probably one of the greatest days in my life.

_Luigi: _

The first night I attempted to get some shut-eye, I kept having nightmares. I knew that Daisy wasn't very good at comforting people but she tried, at least give her that, that she tries. Only the first time was when I woke screaming. She had hugged me for a decent amount of the night and tried to calm me down, a servant came in to see what was going on. The servant had brought some water for me and she walked out not saying anything. The only person who really knew how to deal with me in a condition like this was Mario. He would knock some sense into me and hug me. I tried so hard not to cry after Daisy went back to bed. The tears just wouldn't stop coming down. So, I stayed up the rest of the night silently crying. I really hated crying, especially in front of people. It's just that I cried so much growing up, I seriously thought I ran out of tears. I haven't cried this much in a few years. I made it a promise that I wouldn't cry so much, and it had worked up until now. I was tired, frustrated, angry, and upset. The second night I had stayed at Daisy' was much different except that I didn't go to sleep at all. Days after days I felt myself slip into a depression again. It was bringing me down and people began to notice this. Daisy had tried to make me laugh or smile at the very least doing normally funny things that usually make me laugh. But it didn't help by the time Socko's funeral came around. I just slipped deeper into it, and my mind was still in shock. I was getting tired of wearing the suit but not for the reasons I had hoped for. I had helped Mr and Mrs. Martinez bury their son, what's strange though is I didn't cry at his burial. I just wanted to shove all my emotions in the trash and forget the rest of the world. It was a cruel one anyways. Socko had died when he was only 26. That's too young to die. He wasn't even married. He was so close to getting his degree in sports, too. So close. He had got a basketball scholarship in tenth grade. Now, the high school diploma just sits in his rooms on his dresser in a frame. It was saddening to see it covered in dust, but the sun's rays always hit it. God, I remember how proud his dad was when he heard about the scholarship. His parents had only found a few things that remained okay from the fire. One of the things happen to be him and his parents in a family photo. The other one was him and I at our high school graduation, Mrs. Martinez insisted I keep it, so did Mr. Martinez. His parents knew how close we were, I was most nearly a brother to him as he was to me. He was my best friend. I had stayed behind when the people from the funeral left. It had started to rain but, the only I could see was the grave in front of me. I didn't feel anything, right then was sort of a realization that Socko was no longer here. Also then my body had pretty much shut down. I felt numb to everything. And in the midst of all of this, I had faced this alone.

I could've called my mother, but she's too far away. She lived in Brooklyn still. I could've went to visit her but, Daisy says my mind is too racked up to do anything. I could see she was lost. Without Mario's help, she had no idea what to do with me. Most of the time, she had left me alone because I asked her to. I began to visit Socko's grave every few weeks. I'd tell him about went happened at gymnastics. I started to wonder how the rest of my team reacted to his death. The girls probably cried, the guys probably punched something...Or someone. The team knew as well that we were close. Out of everyone on the team, we'd always be partnered up for conditioning if it involved two people. Mainly stretching, though. I'd tell Socko anything that happened within that week. We told each other everything, almost as much as Mario. I knew Daisy everything in her ability to help me, but nothing seemed to work. She started to worry that I'd do something serious again, like in ninth grade. She never told me that, but I knew it. And if I did do something, there wouldn't be a moment she'd call Mario. He wasn't here. Franky, it didn't occur anytime that he was gone, that my brain could tell. I hardly knew that I walking. I was that upset.

_Mario: _

Finally the day arrived that we ended up going home. The best part was I could finally charge my phone again. I'm only kidding, but seriously, I hate not knowing what's going on. When we arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom, there was a huge crowd of people waiting to hug us. We had to be guided by a security officer and we put down our bags and hugged as many people as we could. I felt something different in the air though, the atmosphere didn't seem right. I looked around for anyone I knew other than the Toads and Yoshi. I noticed Daisy coming into view, Peach and her hugged for the longest time as if they haven't seen each other in two months rather than two weeks.

"Hi!" Peach squeals,

"Hey! Hi, Mario!" Daisy smiles,

"Everything good here?" Peach asks, pulling away, I hugged Daisy for a second and looked around for Luigi. The swarm of people started to dissipate and I didn't see him once. That's strange, normally he's one of the first people I greet. I became a bit confused, I hated to interrupt the girls' conversation about shoes but, I butted in anyways,

"Um, Daisy, where's Luigi?" She froze for a second, then looked down sadly, didn't I tell you my gut never lies to me? Told you something was going to happen. I told you. The different atmosphere became a little more sad as she looked up,

"You didn't my text. I didn't want to bother you two but, I just thought I should've let you know."

"Let us know what?" Peach says commandingly, Daisy's lip quivered a little, she shook slightly and said with her eyes watering,

"Socko died." My felt myself go white as an apparition, and my heart sank deeply. My eyes widened, I felt Peach go stiff next to me, Daisy spoke again, "When he left at your wedding, his mom called to tell him there was someone in their house. The person shot Socko and he didn't make it. Then the person set the house on fire." My heart sank even more, Peach's voice cracked as she spoke,

"And...Luigi had witnessed this?" Daisy shrugged a little,

"The only thing I know is a cop dropped him off at our house that night...I do recall him telling me he wanted to go see where Socko went and why he wasn't back yet." Then my heart went all the way to my stomach as I realized,

"Wait. Luigi faced this _alone_?" I could picture how torn he is. Daisy gave me a sad look yet, it was pained,

"Yes. The whole kingdom showed up for Socko's funeral. Mario, you have no idea how upset he is. I made him stay with me for a few days." I think I knew how sad he was judging by the tone in Daisy's voice. "He's so mentally dazed, his emotional state is racked up too. I just don't know of anything else I can do, I'm glad you showed up when you guys did, though."

"Why?" Peach asks, deeply interested in the conversation, I stood firm and still as I listened to her speak,

"Why? Well, he's so depressed, that I'm scared that he'll do something serious again." I hate it how people can read your minds sometimes, because I was just starting to think that. I feared the worst, and life threw me the worst. Karma. I shivered all the way down to my toes as I started to walk away,

"Mario? Where are you going?" Peach wonders,

"To find Luigi." I say over my shoulder. The girls looked at each other and ran towards me and we all ran towards the house. My nerves had kicked into over-drive, and my anxiety level was well beyond ten. We barged through the door to an empty house, we pretty much destroyed the place and found him no where. I became more than worried. I turned to Daisy and asked, "Do you have any idea of where he could be?" She shrugged again and then said slowly,

"I think I know where he is." She walked out the door coolly and and causally walked to the end of the street. Into my view came the cemetery, the only place I didn't think of. We entered the graveyard as Daisy whispered, "Mario, he going into a severe depression, I don't know how much longer he can hold on." This made my bones chill, and I got goosebumps on my arms. Up on a hill, Daisy led us to see a tall figure staring the ground in front of them. I became relieved to see Luigi coming into view. Daisy wasn't joking around when she said he was depressed. His face was pale and tired looking, he looks like he lost some weight and his face was contorted into frustration, I could tell. He just looked awful. His arms were crossed and he stood abruptly over a grave, the epitaph says:

_"Socko Martinez _

_1988-2014 _

_A great friend and son and awesome teammate. 'Live to prosperous.'" _I ran my finger over the engraved part of his name as I knelt down. I stood back up and looked at Luigi. _  
_

"Bro?" I snapped my fingers in his face a little, I got nothing. He continued to stare at the ground. My nerves got worked up again, I became solicitous towards Luigi. I set a hand on his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin. His eyes were full over anxiety and fear. He was miserable. He eyes also gave away innocence. He still didn't say anything, I gently guided him down the hill and out of the graveyard. I told the girls that I wanted to take him back home and let them hide away in a mall for shoes. They seemed to understand and went about their business, I nodded towards Daisy, it was my gratitude towards her for taking care of Luigi. I helped Luigi into the house as he shivered continuously. I patted him on the back and closed the door behind me. I told him to sit on the couch and I went into the kitchen to get some medication for him. Doc had given it to me to help make his emotional state stabilize. It was only going to knock him out but I can guarantee you he didn't get any sleep while I was gone. In this case, putting him to sleep was a good thing. I tried talking to him but instead got silence. Jesus, was he mentally dazed. I made him take the pill and made him lay down. I threw a blanket over him, he still looked the other way I was facing. I told him to look at me and I actually got him to listen, he did so and as he did, I saw a tear drip onto the couch. I sat next to him for a few minutes and let him cry into my chest. I held him close as he cried for what seemed like hours. He was shaking like a leaf and had exhaustion and misery written all over him. I whispered to him,

"It's okay." I've seen Luigi cry for stupid reasons but this? This so much deeper than that. He lost his best friend due to manslaughter. I could just see it in his eyes he was seeking recourse. By the time he was done crying, he had fallen asleep against my shirt but was still shuddering like crazy and shaking. It was going to be a long week. I tried to bolster him but it went nowhere. The medication I had given him had seemed to take effect, it literally knocked him out. By the time the girls came back, they had too many bags filled with shoes and other things. I shook my head and held a finger up to my lips as they walked in laughing. Daisy had given me a weak smile as she saw Luigi sleeping. Peach came over to me and set a hand on my shoulder and pecked my lips. I felt like I had no reason to move from the living room for the rest of the night. I honestly missed Luigi anyways. Luigi was never one to openly express his emotions, he'd always have them under lock and key. In fact, he hated them. He says it makes him look weak, I only say it makes him human yet he says otherwise.

When I woke the next morning, I found myself sprawled out on the smaller couch to the right of Luigi. He was still sound asleep but I noticed the girls in the kitchen. Normally, I wonder why Daisy was here or why she stayed here but, then I usually don't care. As of right now, I can see she cares a lot about Luigi and wants to help. It was a good enough excuse for me. I scratched my head and passed Luigi, putting my hand on his head as I walked by. He didn't budge, he was in a deep sleep. He needed it, too. Peach smiled at me and pecked my cheek. She was busy making eggs and bacon, and it smelt like heaven. I asked her if she wanted me to take over and she said she was fine. I sat at the table to find the newspaper already there. I said hi to Daisy who was leaning against the counter and drooled over the bacon Peach was making...

Luigi had woken up about three hours later, it was nearly one in the afternoon, normally I'd wake him up before time but, I was convinced that he needed the sleep. Daisy told me about the nightmares he had while he stayed her house. Being the worry-freak that I am, this made me more concerned. Luigi walked into the kitchen with a blank stare on his face, but he looked better than he did yesterday.

"Hi Luigi, how ya doin'?" Daisy asks, touching his arm as he walked by to get a bowl out of the cupboard. He didn't look at her but, with a weak, raspy voice he said,

"How do you think?" He was never a "morning" person. Even though it's not a.m anymore. He's just a person who doesn't talk when he first wakes up, regardless how late he gets up. It was start though, he had started talking again. I was tempted to take him to the doctor but I knew this was temporary. I didn't want to sound like I was too obnoxious. I decided to just keep him on the medication until I thought otherwise, or until the prescription ran out. I was glad to have that in the house, you have no idea how glad I felt. He sat down at the table with a bowl of cereal and didn't say anything but simply messed with his phone. I started to wish we had came back sooner because of the sadness that always played on his face. I didn't even notice Luigi leave until I heard his amplifier. _Good, he's using music as an outlet. _It was better than using himself as one. I heard a few high notes and he played them four times and then I heard silence and then the sound of a piano. Luigi has a keyboard he uses for mixing music. Most likely what he was using. But there were those chords again, the ones he played at the church, EM, BM, C, EM, BM, C, D, EM, C, D. Then I decided to go check it out, the girls trailed behind me because they seemed to have heard it too. I found him playing his guitar and playing those high notes again, with a recording of the piano chords in the background. Yes, Luigi is multi-tasker, he can play piano, drums, guitar, and bass. I may even had he had a decent voice. He was humming loudly as the music played. He stopped playing the guitar, but to only to his computer and pulled up a recording of drums. It sounded like he was trying to make a song. Then he started the recording and singled us to be quiet; he was recording the instrumental song. I heard the song come to together as he played the guitar with the piano mix and drums playing the same time. I had no idea how he did it but, he did. He had taught me a few chords on guitar and I saw him play E, and G a lot. When the music finally stopped, Peach started clapping. She walked into his room and sat on his bed. Daisy and I followed her as Luigi went over to his computer and played what he just did. It sounded really good, it was pretty pro. Luigi was good at music, he tells me that that's the only thing he's good at. I'd disagree with him if I had the chance. The track he played was entitled "Last to Know" apparently, and he says he hasn't came up with any lyrics yet, but he wants to. The track was sad, beautiful melody, I then asked him,

"So, what was the inspiration for this one?" He looked at me and then at his guitar,

"The events of this month." He says simply, I could tell he was really referring to Socko's death. I glanced over at Peach and Daisy who were watching with curiosity and intrigue. I thought about what he just said and bit my lip. I was still in a bit of shock after what Daisy had told me about Socko. Peach then broke the awkward silence by saying,

"Anyone up for a pretzel?" I do like a good Auntie Anne's and so does Luigi. Daisy perked up right away,

"Me!" She jumped off the bed and ran out the door, Peach shortly after. Luigi gave me a look that said, "Why aren't you going?" I gave him the same look, and he shrugged. C'mon, nobody I know cannot walk away from a Auntie Anne's pretzel. Apparently, unless you're Luigi. I tried to persuade him into going but, he refused. I didn't like the fact that he would be home alone. I forced him to go as I pushed him out of his room and into the hallway. The girls were waiting for us by the front door, Peach saw us first and said,

"Ready?" I nodded as Luigi got his shoes on. Thankfully the line wasn't very long and I can only take the scent of it so much until my mouth waters. I really loved these pretzels. I normally never eat a whole one unless I'm starving, but instead I usually give half of it to Luigi or someone else who's with me. I offered to split one with him, he shook his head and looked the other way. I decided to just get the mini ones. I pulled Daisy aside for a second and said,

"Uh, this is weird but, what's up with his eating habits? You never told me." She nodded slightly,

"He really doesn't seem to have an apatite right now, so, don't push it. He does eat but little. Something like Doritos or a cheese stick." So, I wasn't crazy when I thought he lost a few pounds? Now, I had to keep a close eye on him, not that I already wasn't anyways. It didn't bother me too much but, I wanted to keep a close eye on him. Daisy and I walked towards the table where Peach and Luigi sat down. Right as I did, I saw Luigi take something out of his pocket. He flipped it and out swung a blade. Holy crap. I gave him a stern look,

"Where'd you get that?" He looked at me with sad eyes,

"It's Socko's. His father said that he wanted me to have it."

"What kind of blade?"

"A 17 inch." I leaned back against my chair and stared at the damn thing. I stared at it good and long until Luigi put it back in his pocket.

"You better be careful with that thing, you hear me? If I catch you threatening someone for no reason, that knife will be put away. Got it?" I got a slight chill as I thought of the last time he got hold of a knife. I shook my head and went back to eating my pretzels. He didn't say anything, "I said, do you understand me?" My voice was firm and rough, I only used that voice when I was being completely serious. He nodded a little and stared at the fountain to his right. Peach and Daisy were busy talking to each other and I can't say much else that happened while we ate because nothing _did_ happen. The only interesting thing worth sharing with you is how many people came up to Luigi and said that they're sorry for the loss. Hey, at least they made an effort. I could tell Luigi didn't want to talk about it, he had a look of aggravation and sadness fill his eyes. The night started to come to around as I said good night to Daisy and Peach. Peach would start moving into my house in a few days, now that we're married in all...She told me she wanted to see Toadsworth and the castle again anyways. I walked into the house as Luigi closed the door behind him and didn't say a thing but casually walked into his room. We got ready for the night and I lied awake in bed for a while. My mind was going crazy, there were so many questions and not many answers. Everything came so fast today. I hopped out of bed and went down the hallway to Luigi's room. He has his own house but I just had a hard time liking that. Besides, I wanted to see him anyways. I haven't seen him in a while. I opened his door and to find him shivering. I walked in more and quietly sat down next to him. It was obvious he was still awake, I just knew. I heard him sniffle a little and I hovered over him a little and saw tears streaming down his face. His eyes were closed but tears just came down and down. I got under the covers and stared up at the ceiling. The only thing I heard was the sound of cars sometimes passing and Luigi's muffled crying. I finally whispered,

"Are you awake?" What? I wanted to make sure. He said something that sounded like a "yeah" and pulled the covers tighter around him. He was turned away from me and his violent trembling made the bed slightly shake. "You don't have to face everything alone, Weegie." I said quietly, this only made him cry a bit harder. I tried to pull him into a hug but he struggled against it. After the second time, he finally gave in and I rubbed the back of his head softly while he sobbed. I hugged him tightly as I said, "I know you miss him, Bro. But that's how life is. Life dies out and new ones are created. I know it hurts you to know that, but it's the ugly truth." I tried saying that as gently I could without causing him anymore damage. I held him close as he cried and cried. He shook violently and shuddered indiscriminately. I sometime forget that he's two years younger than me, he's only 24. He's still learning and trying get through life in one piece. I heard him say,

"I miss him so much." It was barely audible but I heard it, then his sorrow took over again. "Why do I lose everyone I care about?" That statement hit me harder than it should've.

"I know you do." I whispered, smoothing his hair down a little. This was starting to beat ninth grade... I could still notice that Luigi's mental state is still dysfunctional. His crying was intense, but that's what you get if you lock your emotions down solid. They'll spring out at you when you least expect it. After trying so hard not to cry, it all just came out of him like a waterfall. I held him tighter as he tried to move away. He was slipping into a deeper state of depression. I could tell just by listening to his crying.

"All I want to know is why the _hell _did Socko die? Out of everyone else I know, he's the one who leaves! Dammit I hate this world!" He screamed, he was starting to become angry and yet he cried still.

"I know, baby." I said soothingly, "Just let it go." I felt really bad for him, the world just kept throwing rocks at him until he'd collapse. He cried for hours and I honestly didn't feel tired. I just wanted to make him feel okay again, but knowing that he never will. Not once in during the night, did I pull away from the hug I had him in.

* * *

**Damn, that's long! I thought about making into chapters, but I didn't feel like it. I probably should've though...**

**Btw, sorry for all the references but, for Peach's hair I changed it. Christina Aguilera's hair in "Hurt") **

**The reference to Luigi's hair you'd have to look up on your own.  
**

**Review, please! **

**-JC **


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